Truth, Meaning, and the Study of Religion

This paper focuses on two contrasting approaches to the theory of linguistic meaning and asks how they color a range of issues of interest to scholars of religion. The so-called truth-conditional approach makes truth basic. It trades on the thought that we sometimes or perhaps often know what someon...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Method & theory in the study of religion
Main Author: Godlove, Terry F. 1955- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill [2018]
In: Method & theory in the study of religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Truth / Semantics / Science of Religion
RelBib Classification:AA Study of religion
AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
Further subjects:B Religion
B Justification
B Verification
B Meaning
B Truth
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Summary:This paper focuses on two contrasting approaches to the theory of linguistic meaning and asks how they color a range of issues of interest to scholars of religion. The so-called truth-conditional approach makes truth basic. It trades on the thought that we sometimes or perhaps often know what someone has said when we know what it would be for what she has said to be true. The other approach pegs meaning to how expressions and sentences are used in communicative situations. Dummett and Davidson are front and center. Davidson is of course in one sense a champion of truth-conditional semantics, but, over the issues I have in view, his case is instructively mixed. This discussion leads us toward an account of linguistic meaning which elevates over truth a family of concepts associated with use, including verification, justification, and pragmatic success.
ISSN:1570-0682
Contains:Enthalten in: Method & theory in the study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700682-12341428